‘It Was Huge and It Had Horns’ One Women Shared How She Ended up Secretly Growing a 1-Pound Kidney Stone

I’ve always thought that human bodies are like complex machines. When you get to the root of a problem, there will probably be other problems waiting for you. That was certainly the case for Chrissi Anderson of Omaha, Nebraska. TODAY.com he took surprise of your life when he went to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center for an emergency appendectomy.

The pain had started in Chrissi’s “lower wing” and she knew she had to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Doctors quickly determined that his appendix was about to burst, but when they performed a CT scan to confirm their diagnosis, they saw something they never expected. There, doctors saw a 1-pound kidney stone with horns.

“I couldn’t believe it. It was huge, had horns and looked like a monster,” Anderson said. “And it’s like this is what’s growing inside your kidney. It was huge.”

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What Was Anderson’s Diagnosis?

Anderson had never had kidney stones before and had no visible symptoms typically associated with stones.

Urologist Dr. Euclid de Souza told TODAY.com that this was actually typical of the type of kidney stones Anderson had: staghorn kidney stones.

“The problem with antlers is that they are very quiet because they are big and cannot move, whereas people complain about small stones because they move,” De Souza explained. “The smaller the stone, the more pain it usually causes, because they can move and block the kidney, so urine has nowhere to go. However, these stones have found a home in the kidney and do not move, so urine flows around them.”

Anderson got pretty lucky when his appendicitis flared up. If that stone had not been noticed, it could have damaged his kidney and he could have lost his organ completely. Although you can live without one kidney, it is ideal to stick with both kidneys for numerous reasons.

His doctor believes it has been secretly growing for years, as most of the stones he removes are usually only five millimeters in size. Stones develop from frequent urinary tract infections. According to Sultan Qaboos University research, about 50-60% of women they will develop UTIs throughout their lives, and those that recur are caused by reinfection with the same pathogen. There are several factors that can contribute to recurrent UTIs; This may simply be due to the person’s anatomy (i.e. shorter urethra in women), frequent sexual activity, or even inability to empty the bladder completely.

According to de Souza, the “deer’s head” on Anderson’s stone measured about 3 inches in diameter, with another 3 inches measured for the “antlers.” It was so large it had to be removed in four pieces.

“We had a stone crusher that we could use to break up where the larger piece was attached to the finger-like protrusions,” he says.

Related: Bijou Phillips Says She’s ‘Hanging by a Thread’ While Waiting for Kidney Transplant

What Anderson Can Look Forward to

Anderson is now recovering and says the uncomfortable pressure she felt in her back and legs, which she previously attributed to fibromyalgia, is gone.

Of course, Anderson and anyone who has had kidney stones face the risk of recurrence.

Some Preventive measures women can take To avoid UTIs:

• 30 Minute Rule: Urinate as soon as possible (ideally within 30 minutes) after sexual activity.

• Hydrate: Drinking plenty of water is the most important defense to help you urinate frequently.

• “Hover” or “Do not hold”: Go when you need to go. Retention of urine allows bacteria to multiply. Also, try to sit completely on the toilet seat rather than hovering; Relaxing the pelvic floor muscles allows the bladder to empty completely.

• Skip Products: You don’t actually need showers and sprays; Your vagina naturally cleans itself.

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